Bluebell Wood – The Together Garden
On 1 October, the Greenfingers Charity Together Garden was officially opened at Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice in Sheffield, marking the beginning of a new chapter for this deeply meaningful space. The garden first made its debut at the RHS Wentworth Woodhouse Flower Show, where it received a prestigious Silver-Gilt award, capturing the attention of visitors with its powerful message of reflection, connection and compassion.
Following the show, the garden was carefully relocated to its permanent home at Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice. Working together with Jus Landscapes, designer Phil Hirst and co-creator Joanne Charlton, the team painstakingly moved every plant and feature to ensure the garden could continue to flourish in its new setting.
A Garden Designed for Reflection and Connection
The Together Garden has been thoughtfully designed to provide a tranquil sanctuary for families during some of life’s most difficult moments. Featuring immersive planting, a flowing layout and sculptural details, the garden gently encourages visitors to slow down and spend time together.
Curved timber benches invite families to pause and sit side by side, while a bespoke canopy offers shelter and a sense of intimacy. Sculptural forms throughout the space symbolise hands held in unity, reinforcing the garden’s central theme of connection and support.
Importantly, the Together Garden sits just outside one of the hospice’s end-of-life bedrooms. Here, the garden offers families a peaceful place to step outside, take a breath and share meaningful moments together.
Supporting Families Through Grief
Unlike many hospice gardens, which are designed primarily with children in mind, the Together Garden has a unique purpose. Its brief was to create a space specifically for bereaved parents and loved ones – somewhere they can process grief, reflect and find comfort.
Designer Phil Hirst explained:
“It was a real privilege to be asked by the Greenfingers Charity to design a garden for Bluebell Wood. Many of the charity’s gardens are centred around children, but this time the focus was different – to offer parents and families a space to process grief and find comfort at an unimaginably difficult time. Showing the garden at RHS Wentworth Woodhouse gave us a rare opportunity to share that story with the public, and we are very proud to see it begin to take root and blossom in its forever home.”
The Lasting Impact of Hospice Gardens
For families facing end-of-life care, access to a peaceful outdoor space can be incredibly important. Gardens provide a place to step away from the clinical environment, find quiet moments of reflection and create memories together.
Boyd Douglas-Davies, Chair of Greenfingers Charity, shared:
“We are incredibly proud to have played a part in the creation and relocation of the Together Garden, an extraordinary space of comfort and solace in the moments that matter most. From its moving debut at RHS Wentworth Woodhouse to its new forever home at Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, the Together Garden embodies everything Greenfingers stands for: compassion, creativity and connection through nature.”
Bluebell Wood’s Chief Executive, Heidi Hawkins, also highlighted the garden’s importance:
“Having a beautiful, tranquil and welcoming outdoor space for our families to spend time together and reflect when they’re going through incredibly difficult circumstances is so important. The impact that the garden will have cannot be underestimated.”
Support Hospice Gardens in Yorkshire
Projects like the Together Garden are only possible thanks to the generosity of Greenfingers Charity supporters. These carefully designed outdoor spaces provide comfort, connection and moments of peace for families during incredibly challenging times.
If you would like to help create more gardens like this for children’s hospices across the UK – including here in Yorkshire and the North of England – please consider supporting Greenfingers Charity. Your donation can help bring more healing outdoor spaces to life, giving families the chance to find comfort in nature when they need it most.